A project to combat traffic woes in Ballyraine Letterkenny could see workers on the ground by the end of this year.
Design drawings are being finalised to replace the Ballyraine and Creamery roundabouts with traffic lights to improve flow.
The works are needed now more than ever, said Councillor John O’Donnell, who called for a review into the serious tailbacks.
Cllr O’Donnell told Tuesday’s meeting of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District that motorists travelling from the bottom of Fanad and beyond are complaining that the tailbacks “are getting bigger and bigger, especially since we did the works at the Polestar roundabout.”
Cllr Liam Blaney echoed the complaints and pointed out a typical example last Sunday, when vehicles were queued from the Creamery roundabout back up to the Glebe.
“It’s the worst of the whole lot,” Cllr Blaney said of the route, which is the main thoroughfare into Letterkenny for traffic via Milford and Ramelton.
Plans are moving forward after €575,000 was allocated for the N56 Letterkenny Urban Active Travel Scheme in February.
“This funding was allocated for the commencement of the Active Travel project on the N56 between the Polestar Roundabout and the Creamery Roundabout. The design drawings and the tender documents for the scheme are currently being finalized with the intention of commencement of the procurement of a Contractor in the coming months,” a council spokesperson said.
“The intention is to commence construction before the end of the year, though this is dependent on all necessary approvals and agreements being in place.”
An active travel and junction optimisation review for the N56 between the Creamery Roundabout and Knocknamona Roundabout has also commenced.
Cllr Ciaran Brogan commented on the importance of councillors being kept up to speed on the design and questioned proposals to add cycle lanes to the road.
“If there is a design to take away a lot of the carriage and a bicycle lane, it won’t be looked upon too well by a lot of road users,” Cllr Brogan warned, adding that a strong message must be sent to roads design to state that traffic is a priority.
A workshop is set to be arranged in the near future to update the elected members on this scheme.
